The Voices

Hi Steve, Not a daft question at all ! My first S-Type is the 2.5 V6 model rather than the 3.0 V6. I had a 2.5 as a company car when they were new to the range and thought it was a nice car but the auto box seemed to need to change up and down a lot. When I decided to start looking for a cheap S-Type last year, I was only looking to spend up to £2k and really wanted a 3.0 V6. After going to look at loads of miss-described cars I landed on my 2.5 Sport auto by accident, price was right and seemed an 'honest' car. I have a company car (currently XE 2.0D 180 R-Sport) but unlike everyone else in the motor trade, I have to have something 'quick' of my own as well. Currently on my 5th Subaru Impreza (STi Type UK running 330/330) and before that I had five of the BMW 325i models (before the 328i and 330i models came along !) The plan was that my wife would drive the S-Type as she likes an automatic gearbox and I would keep the Impreza as my weekend toy. Problem is that I like the S-Type as well and drive it more than I anticipated, the 2.5 V6 is just not enough 'gun' for me so the logical move was a 4.2 V8 or STR. My recent purchase came along at the right price, I could easily have spent as much (or more ?) on a non-supercharged V8 so it was a 'no brainer' for me. The STR is an absolute world apart from the V6 (in my opinion), with respect to the responsiveness and smoothness, as much as the performance difference. The supercharger noise on the 'R' is addictive, always promised myself one after getting one up to (GPS verified) 162mph on the runway at Elvington when we were involved with the 'Speed of Sight' project.

I have seen reports of cooling system failures after fitting the 10% pulley but not on the STR (mainly XK ?) Sure that I read that the STR has better/more efficient intercooler but I need to do more research.

How about 'technical grey' from the XKR-S ?

Beggars can't be choosers ! I didn't set out to buy a black one , my choice would be lunar grey with grey/charcoal leather but this one was much cheapness ! The oxygen sensor has arrived and I bought the 22mm sensor removal sockets, just have to cross my fingers for good weather if I decide to change it myself. Had a quick look but there is lot going on in that engine bay, I presume best access will be from under the car ? Then all I need to make my happiness complete is a 10% smaller top pulley (but need to modify the nose of the supercharger), intake pipe, panel filter, sports exhaust, HR lowering springs, uprated discs and pads, remap................................ Wait ! Just (mentally) spent the price of the car on performance upgrades and it will then implode and create an artificial black hole ! Is there a 'superchargers anonymous' support group for victims and their families, I think I already have a life changing addiction ?

Pictures now taken after a very quick wash, not touched the interior yet. Hope the upload works ? Ordered a set of mats, didn't come with any for some reason.

Hmm................................ True glory might be a slight overstatement ! I need to give it a wash first, unfortunately work is getting in the way of my real job (S-Type R primary care provider)

Well, here it is ! Set off this morning at 8am (got a lift from a friend), good trip down and arrived in Brentwood at about 11.40. Sorted the paperwork and used the sat nav to find a Shell garage to fill up with V-Power Nitro, luckily the filling station was still Shell despite the age of the navigation disc ! The engine management light that was showing when I drove it previously had now vanished as well. Managed 27mpg on the 250+ miles back home, car seems to drive brilliantly. The temperature gauge never moved above halfway, even when sat in a traffic jam for a few minutes. It is deceptively quick, my Subaru is a totally different style of power delivery. Went out in the car later and the engine management light came back on, codes indicate bank 1 upstream sensor, I have ordered a genuine replacement one as a first step. It needs a louder exhaust to appreciate the V8 but the supercharger whine is nice ! I now need to sell the 2.5, will have to get round to writing an advert.

No problem, keep us posted !

Here is the news ! Collecting tomorrow, a friend has offered to drive me down (I will of course pay for fuel and lunch !) Hope I make it home in one piece.

Hi Gary, I would 'spread the word' about the auction on a few car forums so that people realise it is for such a good cause. The 'trade' value on the 4.0 V8 would be peanuts (even with the low mileage), probably £1500 or less, we recently gave £750 for a reasonable 2000 registered 4.0 V8 that had done about 60k. It is worth what someone is willing to pay, myself I don't rate the pre-facelift S-Type at all (poor interior, poor gearbox, handbrake that is in the wrong place, etc) but a great car if they are cheap ! Putting my prejudices aside, I would be looking to pay no more than £2500 if it is a really nice example but I am still convinced that it is not a Sport version (not a big deal but sellers who can't describe the vehicle accurately annoy me !) It would also need to have very good service history to get top money. You really need to drive the 4.2 version (all 4.2's are the facelift model with 6 speed box and electronic park brake) it is a world apart from the early version. Will this particular 4.0 be a collectors item one day because of the low mileage, who knows ?

Glad to hear that your good lady is doing well, auctioning the ZT is a fantastic gesture. It might be worth putting details on the Rover/MG forums to help get the best price to benefit the charity ? Let me know if I can be of any help when you are ready to take another look at a Jaguar. The 4.0 V8 looks a reasonable car in the photos but would need to be a lot more than 'reasonable' for me to pay £4k. A 4.2 or S-Type R would be the way forward for me ?

Still waiting for the ISA funds to appear in my account so that I can pay the balance and arrange to collect it !

Thank you for the suggestions and your kind offer. I can probably arrange for one of our delivery drivers from work to collect it and pay my employers for his time but really want to drive it back myself to get a feel for what needs sorting. I would also feel awful if something happened to the car whilst our driver had it in his care (even if not his fault) At the moment I am waiting for the funds I moved out of an ISA to appear in my account (I had 'zero' intention of buying another car) so cannot arrange things until I have a date. Getting impatient now as I just want to get on with it !

I just need to arrange to collect it now ! My wife does not fancy the 10 hour round trip to drop me off. I could try a cheap flight from Manchester to Heathrow but if I add check in time, travel to Manchester airport and from Heathrow to the dealer (55 minutes), it could still be three hours plus ?

I will talk nicely to our Jaguar master tech (or I can take it back to my previous dealership) for advice and work at 'mates rates' Once the car is mine I will speak to the previous owners and servicing dealers to see if I can find out what has already been done. Has to be worth a shot at the price I have paid for it (I hope !)

How did you get on ?

It was quick but my Impreza is quite rapid and I drive some of the quick stuff at work so maybe I have become de-sensitised to speed ? (LOL) The chap selling it is totally honest about what he does, he has about 50 cars in a yard that he buys 'as is' from other dealers, some have cosmetic issues, higher mileage or older than the dealers will retail. Just adds a bit of profit and moves them on as 'trade' sales, no time to fix problems on individual cars, what you see is what you get. I suppose you pay your money and take your chances ?

Yeah it's the black one ! I have committed to buy it for a bit less than the asking price. Money where my mouth is time, soon find out whether it is a bargain or not........................................ Once I get it home and replace the air/ fuel sensor we shall see where we go from there. Think it might need the heater valve as seemed to blow cool air whatever the setting ? Worst case scenario, I can probably break it for a significant chunk of what I am paying for it. Interestingly, for all S-Type R price watchers, the Glasses Guide price (trade) is less than £2k ! Not that you are likely to buy one anywhere as cheap as that !

2 days over the cut off date is annoying ! I went to view it today, 10 hour round trip thanks to the useless UK road network, unable to cope with moderate traffic volumes. Cosmetically very good for the age and mileage, needs two back tyres soon. Seemed decent to drive but had engine management light on and fault codes p0031 and p0131 which relate to bank 1 oxygen sensor. It was not as quick as I remembered but might be due to the fault codes ? (or the fact that the last time I drove one for any length of time was in 2003 !) A lot of car for the money but still undecided !

I thought about the road tax last night ! You can't win, get something newer so hopefully some of the bugs ironed out and it virtually doubles the tax !

The car is a 2006 '56' plate, less than half the price of a similar car with 80k on the clock. Just being moved on cheap as a dealer part exchange, we do the same thing with anything older or higher mileage than we will retail. Unfortunately it is 200 miles away from me but very tempted to make the trip, all I have to lose is the cost of fuel !

Chance of a cheap S-Type R with 155k on the clock. It has dealer and independent history but involves a long trip to view (and collect ?) Am I absolutely barking mad ?

Plus the 4.2 has an extra 20 BHP !

I had a look at the link on Autotrader and the description is 4.0 V8 Sport, I would expect it to have 17" alloys or above but it has the standard 16" (Dynamic ?) alloys found on the 3.0 SE ? You really need to drive the 4.2 before the 4.0 and you will really notice the difference.

That is very, very strong money for a 4.0 V8 ! I appreciate that the low mileage is a big attraction but there will be some nice 4.2 versions around for similar money. General opinion is that the later cars from 2002 onwards are a vast improvement over the early S-Type. The 4.2 is a better engine with fewer problems, the 6 speed ZF auto is far nicer to drive than the 5 speed and the interior is a world apart ! This is only my opinion but I feel reasonably qualified to comment as I have been selling Jaguars since 2002 when the S-Type facelift was launched. For not much more than the £4k asking price you could get a higher mileage S-Type R !